Spirit-level.



No; 895,573. I PATENTBD AUG. 11, 1908. W. L. MYERS. SPIRIT LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1907.

7m; 112mm]: 461.49% fill/11ml as: mm f- Jig/Mew Male dig s.

and exact description, such as WILLIAM L. means, or sr.

LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM LEVY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPIRIT-LE VE L.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed. August 23, 1907. Serial No. 389,847.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM L. MYEns, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spirit- Levels; of which the following is a full, clear, will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a straight edge provided with a device em b'odying the features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing my improved device detached from the straight edge, a portion of this figure being broken away to more clearly show the construction of the device.

This invention relates to spirit levels or plumb levels such as are used to determine whether or not a horizontal surface is level or a vertical surface is plumb.

Prior to my invention the spirit levels that have been in general use consisted of a straight bar having a spirit tube arranged at approximately the center thereof and a second spirit tube arranged in one end of the bar at right angles to the tube first referred to, both of said tubes being permanently secured to the bar. Levels of this description cannot be conveniently carried from place to place on. account of the length of the bar in which the spirit tubes are set, and moreover, such levels are expensive due to the fact that the bar is made from choice wood and has its edges bound with brass to prevent it from being damaged.

To overcome this objectionable feature and produce at a small cost I have devised a device of comparatively small dimensions which carries a spirit tube and which is adapted to be detachably connected to a bar or piece of wood of any length and provided with'a straight edge, thereby enabling a workman to obtain a board or piece of wood at the building where he goes to work, dress down one edge of same and attach thereto the device which carries the spirit tube. hen he has completed his work on this building he removes said device from the board and places it in his pocket or tool-box, thus enabling him to conveniently carry the level with him. The

a level that canbe manufactured spirit tube is adjustably mounted in the device so that after the device has been connected to the board the tube can be adjusted until the bubble therein comes to the middle of the tube.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character just described which is provided with two adjustable spirit tubes arranged at right angles to each other so that the device can be used for determining whether or not a vertical surface is plumb or a horizontal surface is level. And still an other object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the spirit tubes can be examined and adjust ed from either side of which the device is mounted.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designatos a device preferably formed from metal and provided with two adjustable spirit tubes 1 and 2 that are arranged at right angles to each other, said device being adapt ed to be detachably connected by screws 3 to a bar or board 4 provided with a straight edge. The device A preferably consists of a plate 5 provided with a central opening 6 and having a ring or housing 7 brazed or permanently connected to the rear side thereof and of greater diameter than the opening 6 in the plate. A plate 8 provided with an opening that corresponds in shape to the opening 6 in the front plate is detachably connected to the ring 7 by screws 8 and the spirit tubes 1 and 2 are arranged between these plates 5 and 8. These spirit tubes are mounted in carriers 1 and 2 each of which consists of an approximately tubular-shaped piece of metal provided at one end with a flexible lip 9 that is secured to the ring or housing 7 by a screw 10, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

As previously stated, the spirit tubes are adjustable, the free end or unconnected end of each tube carrier being providedwith a threaded shank 11 that projects through guides 12- extending inwardly from the ring 7. An adjusting nut 13 is mounted on each shank 11 between the guides 12 and a lock nut 14 is also mounted on said shank between the free end of the tube carrier and one of the guides 12. As the adjusting nut 13 is turned the free end of the tube carrier will be raised or lowered, depending, of course, upon the direction in which the nut is turned, so that the bubble in the tube can be located at the bar orboard in the middle of the tube. Preferably, the

guides 12 are slotted so that the shanks 11 can be inserted easily, and for retaining said shanks in position I have provided one guide of each pair with a removable screw 15 that pfiloses the slot in said guide, as shown in W Vhile I have herein shown the tube-carriers as being adjusted by means of the threaded shanks 11 and nuts 13 it will, of course, be understood that various other means could be employed for accomplishing this without departing from my broad idea. Furthermore, it should be understood that the device A and also the tube-carriers could be formed in various other ways.

With a device of this description, after the workman has arrived at the building he obtains a bar or board 4 and dresses down one of its edges so that it will be perfectly straight and then forms a round opening inthe middle of the bar. The device A is then put in place with the ring or housing 7 ex tending into the opening in the bar and the plate 5 lying against one face of the bar, the device being secured to the bar by the screws 3 which extend through the plate 5. If the bubbles in the tubes are not located at the middle portions of the tubes the nuts 13 are turned to adjust the tubecarriers.

It is preferable to mount the device A in the manner herein illustrated but, of course, it is not absolutely necessary that said device should be mounted in a bar or board provided with an opening as the plate 5 can be screwed to the side of the bar or board with the ring or housing 7 projecting laterally therefrom. Furthermore, instead of applying the device to a bar or straight edge, said device can be secured to an ordinary carpenters square by tapping some holes in the square to receive the screws 3 which hold the device in position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described, comprising a member adapted to be removably mounted in a hole in a bar, spirit tubecarriers pivotally mounted in said member and arranged at an angle to each other, said member being so constructed that the tubes can be seen from either side of the bar in which it is mounted, a threaded shank on each tube-carrier, guides on said member through which said shanks extend, and adand provided at their meeting ends with flexible extensions that are secured to the housing, spirit tubes mounted in said carriers, and independent means carried by the housing for adjusting said tubes; substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a housing that is adapted to be arranged inside of an opening in a bar, a spirit tube-carrier provided at one end with a flexible lip that is permanently secured to the housing, a screw-threaded shank on the opposite end of said tube-carrier, lugs on the housing through which said shank passes, and an adjusting nut mounted on said shank between said lugs; substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described, comprising two plates spaced away from each other, one of said plates being provided with openings to receive screws that secure said device to a straight bar, a ring arranged between said plates, tube-carriers located between said plates inside of said ring and arranged at approximately right angles to each other, spirit tubes mounted in said carriers, lips at the meeting ends of said tube-carriers that are secured to said ring, a threaded shank on each tube-carrier that projects through guides on the ring, and an adjusting nut mounted on said shank between said guides for adjusting the tubecarrier,' substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a plate provided on one side with a housing, a pair of tube-carriers arranged inside of said housing at right angles to each other and having their meeting ends secured to the housing, means for moving the free ends of the tube-carriers independently of each other, and a plate detachably connected to the housing; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my justing nuts mounted on said shanks and signature in the presence of two witnesses,

arranged between said guides substantially as described.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a plate provided on its rear side wit a housing and having a central opening,

this 20th day of August 1907.

WILLIAM L. MYERS. Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, LENORE WILSON. 

